Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews Oct 6, 2012 Even as India hails its PSLV successes, slipups in its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle [GSLV], have delayed the launch of the Indian Navy satellite GSAT-7 which will now be launched using an Ariane-5 rocket from the Kourou island in French Guiana.  The launch is  tentatively scheduled for the end of this year, or the first month of 2013, Aerospace Diary learns. GSAT-7/INSAT-4F is proposed as a multi-band communication satellite carrying payloads in UHF, S-band, C-band and Ku-band.  On the aerospace command, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne  said:"We need to look at three areas - aerospace, cyber and cooperation.” On the space cell managed by the military, DRDO and ISRO, he noted: “it needs bigger infrastructure…” Delayed by over a year, GSAT-7A will be launched after GSAT-7is launched. “It will be an air force satellite with some bandwidth for the navy,” said Browne. F ormer ISRO chief G. Madhavan Nair had sugge...

Posted by- Neelam Mathews July 15, 2011 GSAT-12 communication satellite, was today launched from Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. The launch of PSLV - C17 was the eighteenth successive successful flight of PSLV. The preliminary flight data indicates that all major flight events involving stage ignition and burnouts, performance of solid and liquid stages, indigenously developed advanced mission computers and telemetry systems have performed well, says ISRO. ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC)'s ground station at Biak, Indonesia acquired the signals from GSAT-12 immediately after the injection of the satellite. The solar panels of the satellite were deployed automatically. Initial checks on the satellite have indicated normal health of the satellite.

Posted By- Neelam Mathews June 30, 2011 Preparations for the launch of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C17) targeted for July 15, carrying India's communication satellite GSAT-12 are progressing at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, says ISRO. GSAT-12 Communication satellite with a mass of 1410 kg at lift-off, has 12  Extended  C-band transponders. PSLV-C17 will inject GSAT-12 into an  elliptical Transfer Orbit (Sub-GTO) of 284 km perigee and 21,000 km apogee. Subsequently, the Liquid Apogee Motor of the satellite will be  used to raise both apogee and perigee of the Satellite to place it in a  circular orbit of 36,000 km altitude. All the four stages of the launch vehicle have been fully assembled at the  Vehicle Assembly Building at Shriharikota. Presently, the vehicle is going  through various levels of electrical checkout operations and reviews. GSAT-12 satellite has already undergone necessary testing at Shriharikota  befo...

Press Release by ISRO Filed by Neelam Mathews April 18, 2011 11.50PM IST  The Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) for PSLV-C16/RESOURCESAT-2 mission, which met on April 16, 2011 at Satish Dhawan Space Centre - SHAR, Sriharikota has cleared the launch of PSLV-C16 at 10:12 hrs (IST) on Wednesday, April 20, 2011. LAB reviewed the readiness of the launch vehicle, spacecraft systems and ground stations and has authorised the commencement of the 54 hour Count Down during the early hours of April 18, 2011. During the Count Down, propellant-filling operations of the liquid propellant second stage (PS2) and fourth stage (PS4) of the launch vehicle will be carried out. Mandatory checks on the launch vehicle and spacecraft - including charging of batteries and pressurisation of propellant tanks will be performed. Readiness of launch infrastructure such as tracking radar systems and communication networks will also be checked. PSLV-C16 will launch RESOURCESAT-2, YOUTHSAT and ...

FUNDING & POLICY NEW DELHI — The Indian Space Research Organization has delayed the launch of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C15) scheduled for May 9, following a marginal drop in pressure in the second stage of the vehicle. The drop in pressure “was noticed during mandatory checks carried out on the PSLV-C15 vehicle,” ISRO says. A new date for the launch of the mission will be decided after the results of the analysis are in; the delay is likely to be weeks. PSLV-C15 will launch India’s Cartosat-2B, the Algerian ALSAT-2A satellite, the nanosatellites NLS 6.1 and NLS 6.2 from the University of Toronto, and Studsat — a satellite built by students from academic institutions in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The launch will take place from Sriharikota (SHAR), ISRO’s launch center. “In the past 15 years the PSLV has built a high reliability and can launch up to 1.6 tons,” a spokesman says. The PSLV was also used to launch India’s Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission. Since 1996, ...